Cairo’s scarf haven Rebel Cairo - run by iconic mother-daughter duo Dala and Dara - dropped a new collection drawing inspiration from 8th century Arab culture. Named after ‘Kalila and Dimna’, an important piece of Arab literature, the collection’s neutral tone palette reflects the depth embedded into each garment, which is imperative to a release that takes after such a historic text.

‘Kalila and Dimna’ is a collection of stories that was translated from the Sanskrit text Pañcatantra into Arabic during the Abbasid age. Through a combination of art and text, the book tells tales of community, family, and friendship. “We dug deep into the intricately layered manuscripts of ‘Kalila and Dimna’ but also the little nuances and values of the stories and birthed rebel’s interpretation of everything learned through our research,” Dala and Dara tell @SceneStyled. “For this collection we limited our fabric use to wool and gabardine. We worked on creating custom-designed jacquard knits with a premium selection of vintage Italian yarns and new yarns as well.”

When creating this collection, the designers made sure to focus on sustainability. “Quality and longevity are our top priorities,” they explain. “In order to be sustainable, we must provide items that allow our clients to wear over and over and shift the consumer’s buying habits. For this collection specifically, we designed with this in mind: creating staples that can stay in people’s wardrobes for years to come.” Perhaps as a reflection of the cultural timelessness of Kalila and Dimna itself.